Paris will restore Notre Dame’s surrounding gardens into an eco-friendly public space. Photo / Getty Images
Paris will restore Notre Dame’s surrounding gardens into an eco-friendly public space. Photo / Getty Images
Each week in Reset Travel, we check out some of the latest happenings from Aotearoa and beyond to inspire your next adventure.
Drive the change
Good news if you’re looking to travel around New Zealand with a cleaner, greener focus - Kiwi-owned company, Go Rentals have become the first rental car company in New Zealand to be Toitū net Carbonzero Certified. It allows the company to accurately measure its greenhouse gas footprint and take further steps to manage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Book your next rental with Go Rentals and you’ll have the opportunity to offset your emissions with CarbonClick, or go completely electric with a Tesla. Your carbon emissions will be 10 times lower than a standard petrol car. See gorentals.co.nz
Go Rentals have become the first rental car company in New Zealand to be Toitū net Carbonzero Certified. Photo / Getty Images
When Notre Dame de Paris burned in 2019, the world recoiled, but three years later and things are looking rosy again - or green, as the case may be. Having pledged to be the greenest city in Europe by 2030, Paris will restore Notre Dame’s surrounding gardens and esplanade into an eco-friendly public space. Trees will double, a cistern will capture rainwater and an innovative wave feature will lower both the surface and air temperature, making the Île de la Cité its own sustainable microclimate. Construction will begin in late 2024 and is expected to take three years.
Fresh festival
Roam the Valley Wine & Food Festival is a brand-new four-day festival coming to Central Otago and the Southern Lakes in 2023. Debuting 26-29 January 26-29, events are set among the vines, kicking off at Cargo Cellar Door in Gibbston Valley on January 29. Three smaller celebrations will follow, including master classes and vineyard brunches. For tickets and a full list of festivities, see roamcentral.co.nz
Roam the Valley Wine & Food Festival is a brand-new four-day NZ festival. Photo / Supplied
Get onboard a new luxury train running between Tokyo to Nikko in Japan. Launching July 15, 2023, Tobu Railway’s SPACIA X will connect Asakusa Station in Tokyo with Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture. For those with the means and the money, the design of the Cockpit Suite is similar to the interior of a private jet. Elsewhere, foodies will enjoy the menu of local Nikko cuisine, as well as signature craft beer from Nikko Brewing and caffeine fixes by Nikko Coffee.
The Cockpit Suite onboard Tobu Railway’s SPACIA X train. Photo / Supplied
